Is Selling Links Allowed on eBay

Graham_Devon

I understand completely where you are coming from. Nothing worse than loads of listings, but they do make money from these.

However, the stuff they are selling is not actually intangiable. A link could be classed as a tool to save money for instance. An intabgiable item would be such that you cannot do anything with it.

So say this seller is selling a link to a discount, or like you say, free sample, then it's not intagiable, as using that link, they are getting the goods.

Ebay won't care if they have 3 or 300 listings to be honest. 300 listings makes them more money.

frivolous_fay

I don't think it's banned on ebay to sell intangible goods, but paypal's protection policies definitely don't cover them.

Intangible in ebay's terms = something that is not an object. A bunch of pixels on a screen are not tangible on ebay.

'So say this seller is selling a link to a discount, or like you say, free sample, then it's not intagiable, as using that link, they are getting the goods.'

Well, often the links don't actually work, for example someone reported recently that a list of suppliers was sold to them under the understanding that they could buy an item for a highly discounted rate; she rang all the suppliers and none of them could match that price.

Links are intangible, whatever you do with them.

John_T_5

According to eBay the seller must be in possession of the item before selling it, selling a link to get it elsewhere contradicts that.

And the listings are still in the wrong place.

frivolous_fay

John_T wrote:

According to eBay the seller must be in possession of the item before selling it, selling a link to get it elsewhere contradicts that.

Sure... but the seller would argue that they are not selling the item, but selling the link, which they DO have.

There isn't anything on the banned items list that suggests links are not permitted.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/items-ov.html

They do mention, however, that intangible items are not covered by paypal - why bother to state this if intangibles are banned?

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/tp/paypal-protection.html

'An item is covered by PayPal Buyer Protection if it meets the following eligibility requirements.
.......
* The seller's eBay listing is for a physical item. Services and intangible items are not covered. '

That also reminds me that people sell 'services' on ebay and this is certainly permitted... for example, courier services.


No argument that the listings are in the wrong place!